


I Love You 3,000

by LadyLibby



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers:Endgame Spoilers, Awkward Flirting, Babysitting, Crushes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Love, More tags to be added, Mutual Pining, Post-Endgame, Romance, Superheroes, the first chapter is sad but it gets better i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-02-29 20:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18785311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLibby/pseuds/LadyLibby
Summary: “I didn’t know he had a daughter.”Y/N looked up. It was him.“Me neither.” She said. “Morgan was born while I was...gone.”His face took on a red tinge. “Oh, I-um, I meant you.”She nodded. “Goddaughter. Not actually biologically related. But he did kind of raise me. I came to live with him Pepper when I was ten, after my parents died during the battle of New York.”“I’m sorry.”“It was a long time ago.” She said. “Does Spider-man have a real name?”“Peter.” He said. “Peter Parker. Does the Sparrow have a real name?”“Y/N L/N.”“Nice to meet you, Y/N L/N.”“You too, Peter Parker.”For the first time in days, she smiled.





	1. First Meetings

They met at the funeral. 

 

They’d seen each other once before, of course, but that was under less than ideal circumstances. She had locked eyes with him for just a moment, as she took her place beside Wanda and Okoye, ready and willing to protect Carol with whatever it takes. 

She was fighting the next moment, unable to notice him tilt his head and give a little wave despite the smudges of dirt scattered across his face and the ache in his bones. One of the chitauri ran at him soon enough. They didn’t see each other again after that. They were too busy fighting, too busy surviving. 

Until it was over. 

Y/N fell to her knees. Tony lay a few yards away. Pepper was with him. 

Y/N began to cry. 

She hoped her godfather knew how much she admired him, how much she owed him. 

She hoped he knew how much she loved him. 

Y/N felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, her vision misty. She felt impossibly young. All the responsibility, the maturity, the mask she carried so faithfully, crumbled. Y/N stood up and pressed her head against the white star on his chest, accepting Steve’s embrace. 

“You did good, kiddo.” 

She heard the rattle of emotion in his chest. She felt drops falling into her hair. 

~

Y/N held Morgan’s hand. Pepper set the flowers in the water, smiling softly at the centerpiece as it floated away. 

_ Proof that Tony Stark has a heart. _

Y/N looked at Morgan, who was fidgeting in her black dress. She bent down and picked the little girl up, balancing the child on her hip. 

This was all the proof anyone needed. 

Y/N looked at her hand for a moment. That was proof too. She was here again, flesh and blood, not scattered to the wind. 

In her peripheral vision, she saw someone move closer to the end of the dock. Y/N turned, and found herself looking at him again. He met her gaze. They didn’t speak. The woman behind him put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting, motherly gesture.

He looked back out at the little raft, getting smaller in the distance. Y/N did the same. 

Morgan wrapped her hands around Y/N’s neck and rested her head on the young woman’s collarbone. Y/N pressed a kiss to the top of the girl’s head. 

Pepper turned around again long after the flowers were gone. Y/N carefully handed Pepper her daughter. Pepper smiled. 

“She’s taken to you.” 

“I think it’s the other way around.” Y/N said. 

“His daughters, finally together.” Pepper said. 

Y/N had trouble swallowing around the lump in her throat. She fidgeted with the material of her black dress, the fabric made hazy by unshed tears. Pepper squeezed her shoulder, turning towards the house. Pepper held Morgan close and began walking back. 

“I didn’t know he had a daughter.” 

Y/N looked up. It was him. 

“Me neither.” She said. “Morgan was born while I was...gone.” 

His face took on a red tinge. “Oh, I-um, I meant you.” 

She nodded. “Goddaughter. Not actually biologically related. But he did kind of raise me. I came to live with him Pepper when I was ten, after my parents died during the battle of New York.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It was a long time ago.” She said. “Does Spider-man have a real name?” 

“Peter.” He said. “Peter Parker. Does the Sparrow have a real name?” 

“Y/N L/N.” 

“Nice to meet you, Y/N L/N.” 

“You too, Peter Parker.” 

For the first time in days, she smiled. 

~

They saw each other again in the street. 

Y/N was walking from school to her subway stop when her phone buzzed. 

“Robbery in progress at 49th and 7th. Gunshots reported.” FRIDAY spoke through her earbuds. 

“Thanks FRIDAY.” 

Y/N ducked into the shadow of a building. She grasped the face of her watch and twisted it. The mechanism clicked, triggering her suit. Metal spread out from her watch, up her arm and across her body. She stepped back out into the street, now masked. Metal wings unfurled from her back and she took off, headed for the robbers. 

“Any hostages?” She asked, sailing past skyscrapers.  

“Scanning…Six hostages and five hostiles, by my count.” 

“Alright,” Y/N took a breath. “Let’s do this.” 

She tucked the wings closer to her body, diving lower as she got closer to the building. At the last minute, she spun in the air so she hit feet first, shattering the glass doors and surprising the criminals. Y/N used her blasters on the man closest to her, knocking him backwards. The others began shooting at her. She dove for the hostages, extending her wings to shield them from the gunfire. 

She was about to improvise her next move when she heard one of the robbers cry out in surprise. Y/N turned her head in time to see him fly backwards and hit the wall, stuck to the marble by a web. The robbers turned their guns on the newcomer. 

“Go, go, go!” Y/N said to the hostages, herding them to the back door. 

Once they were safely out, she turned back and rejoined the fight. Peter jammed one of the robber’s guns with his web, and then drove the butt of the weapon into the man’s forehead, knocking him down. Y/N came up behind another, and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around. 

“Hi there.” Y/N kicked him in the crotch. 

She blasted him backwards to land with his friends. The fifth robber tried to run, thoroughly regretting his life decisions. Peter shot webs at his ankles, tripping him. Two metallic feathers shot from Y/N’s wings and pierced his shirt, holding him to the floor. 

Y/N and Peter stepped forward together, dragging all the criminals towards the wall. Peter shot webs at them, trapping their hands and attaching them firmly in place. 

Y/N heard sirens getting closer. 

“That’s our cue.” She said. 

As the red and blue flashing lights rounded the corner, Y/N grabbed Peter’s hand, dragging him behind her to the back door. They burst out into the alley at the rear of the building. She looked at him through her mask. The white fabric covering his brown eyes expanded, like his eyes were widening. 

“That–that was really badass.” He said. 

“Right back at you, Spider-man.” Y/N smiled. “See you around.” 

She extended her wings and shot straight up. Peter watched as she flew over the top of the building and disappeared from sight. 

“See you!” He said, too late for her to hear. 

He sighed, holding his face in his hand. “She can’t hear you, stupid.” 

Peter shook his head, shooting a web to the top of the next building and swinging away. 

~

Y/N helped a frightened woman to her feet. Peter dragged the mugger he and Y/N had knocked out into a sitting position against the wall and shot a couple of webs at him to keep him in place until the police arrived. 

“Are you injured?” Y/N asked the woman. 

The woman shook her head. “Just frightened. Thank you both.” 

“It’s no problem.” Y/N said, smiling at her. 

“Yeah, it’s what we do.” Peter chimed in. 

Y/N looked at her friend. “Did you get hurt?” 

“Nah, of course not.” Peter straightened up, puffing out his chest a little.

“Alright, big man, I’m just checking in on you.” Y/N laughed. 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Peter said, and Y/N could picture the red on his face. “Thanks.” 

Red and blue lights flashed around the corner as the police cars screeched to a halt. 

“This is where we leave you.” Y/N said, spreading her wings.

“Stay safe!” Peter called, swinging away after Y/N. 

They landed on the roof of a nearby building. 

“I need a cheeseburger.” Y/N announced. “Are you hungry?” 

“Yeah, I am.” Peter admitted. 

“Come on, Spiderman, let’s go find a McDonalds.”  

The guy working the night shift at the 23rd street McDonalds saw a lot of weird shit. Two Avengers walking in together at three in the morning, had to be the weirdest. The Sparrow and Spiderman came up the counter as if they were any other pair of New Yorkers and ordered cheeseburgers. His jaw almost at the floor, he held up his phone and snapped a photo of them. 

“Hey man, did you hear us?” Spiderman waved his hand in front of the cashier’s face. 

“Wh-oh! Sorry!” 

The guy put in their order and then ran back behind the grill to not-so-quietly freak out with the cook. 

“Do you think we’ll make the news?” Peter asked. 

“Oh, there’s definitely going to be a TMZ piece about our terrible eating habits.” 

Peter laughed. 

The guy returned, and handed them their food. Together, they headed back to the rooftop where they’d first become friends. 

“Oh mah goh” Y/N said, her mouth full. “I luh cheebuuuhuhs” 

“Meh too.” Peter said around his own enormous bite of food. 

Y/N swallowed. “We’re disgusting.” 

“Yeah.” 

She looked at him, and he looked back. 

They burst into laughter. 

~

When they met again, she was crying. 

The lights of the city stood out against the dark sky all around them. She held a note in her bruised hands. The little scrap of paper had fallen from her wing as she sat on the rooftop, fiddling with the metal plating. 

_ Go be a badass. _

His handwriting was messy, like always. Even though he must have written it long ago, the tall squiggles seemed alive to her.

That made it hurt more. 

“Dad…” She whispered. 

Peter took off his mask. He pulled a similar scrap from his suit. 

_ It’s yours, kid. Good luck.  _

Y/N laughed a little, swiping a hand across her face.

“Even his notes sound like him. Tony Snark.” Y/N sighed. “I have to stop hoping he’ll come back.” 

“I know,” Peter said softly. “But they never do.” 

Y/N looked at him, his tears reflected the city. Light ran down his face. She looked back out at the skyline, putting her hand gently over his. He adjusted so he could hold her hand, pressing his palm to hers. 

She waited until he was ready. 

“It was my uncle, Ben...” 

~

“Hey,” MJ said. “Hey, Parker.” 

Peter lifted his head from where it rested on his hand, inhaling sharply. “Yeah. Hmm, what?” 

“Have you learned anything worth sharing while you were staring into space?” 

“Oh, um, no.” 

“What’s her name?” MJ dropped her tray next to Peter’s and dropped down in the seat beside him. 

“Wh-what?” His ears turned red.

“That  _ is _ the Peter puppy love face.” Ned interjected. 

“Dude!” 

“C’mon, Peter. We’re your best friends!” 

He flicked the end of his plastic fork. 

“Y/N.” He said quietly. 

“Y/N Thompson?” MJ asked. 

“No, a different Y/N. She doesn’t go here.” Peter said. “We met, um, through the Stark internship.” 

Ned raised his eyebrows. 

Peter’s phone buzzed. He clapped his hand over the screen. 

“Oh my God,” MJ laughed. “That was her.” 

“Did we just, like,  _ Beetlejuice _ her into texting you?” Ned asked. 

“What did she say?” 

Peter leaned back, holding the phone as close to his face as he could without blurring the screen. MJ and Ned leaned closer, trying to read the text too. Peter smiled. It was a photo of a red and white popsicle. Her text said  _ Have you seen these? The likeness is remarkable. _

“Is that supposed to be Spiderman?” MJ asked, tilting her head. 

Peter closed messaging, laughing. “Yeah, it’s pretty bad.” 

His phone buzzed again. Peter held the phone to his chest. 

“Okay, MJ.” Ned said. “I think we should let them talk  _ privately.”  _

MJ rolled her eyes. “Fine.” 

She and Ned talked while Peter held the phone in his lap, texting her under the table. 

_ that’s horrifying _ He said. 

_ Morgan likes it.  _ Y/N replied.  _ I just had to stop her from eating a third one. I’m a little worried that this is encouraging her to pursue cannibalism.  _

_ i doubt that’ll be a problem. it doesn’t even look like a human. one eye is on my chin, and the other is suspiciously missing _

_ Nasty run-in with a supervillain?  _ Y/N suggested. 

_ knowing me, it’s more likely i walked into a door _

_ Lol. Did I ever tell you about the time I flew into a building? _

Peter laughed. Ned and MJ shared a look over his head while he continued typing away. Definitely puppy love Peter. 


	2. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New School, Same You, New Friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with more, as promised. Hope you like it!

“Can I put a potentially crazy idea out there?” 

Pepper looked up from her laptop, pushing her reading glasses up to rest on the top of her head. 

“Unless _you_ _also_ cracked time travel, I don’t think it’ll be that crazy.” Pepper said. 

Y/N laughed, coming to sit beside her adoptive mother at the kitchen table. 

“What if I transferred to a new school next semester?” Y/N said. 

“What? Did something happen?” Pepper asked, concerned. 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Y/N said. “It’s just really boring. I’ve never been happy there, and I’ve never really had friends, what with the whole...you know.” 

“You didn’t want to get close.” Pepper nodded. “Sometimes I think you two were actually biologically related. Where do you want to go?” 

“I did some research, and I think I’d really like Midtown.” 

“Isn’t that where Peter goes to school?” 

“Yeah,” Y/N admitted. “I’ll already have a friend. I want to go for me, though, not for him.” 

“Nobody said otherwise.” 

Y/N pressed her lips together. Her face felt hot. 

“Right, yeah,” She said. “So what do you think?” 

“If it’s what you want, we can make it happen.” Pepper said. 

“It’s what I want.” Y/N said. 

“Okay.” 

~

Maybe this was a horrible, terrible mistake. Y/N twisted her hands together in the backseat of the car, thinking about all the ways this day could, and probably would go wrong. Sure, she had Peter, but he already had friends. What if she messed up their group and he hated her for it? She should have stayed at her old school. It wasn’t so bad. She could just push through until graduation. 

“Okay kiddo, we’re here.” Happy said, looking at her in the rearview mirror. “You okay?” 

“Just a little nervous.” 

“You’ll be fine.” Happy said. “This is the right move for you.” 

“You think so?” 

“Yeah, I do.” 

Y/N took a deep breath. “See you at the end of the day, Hap.” 

“Don’t do anything your dad would do.” 

Y/N smiled. “No promises.” 

She stepped out of the car. Y/N adjusted the straps of her backpack and followed the stream of kids heading for the front door. 

“I’ll meet you at the front office.” Peter had said on the phone the night before. 

Y/N found the office pretty easily, trying not to overanalyze every look she got from the students walking past her. 

“Hi,” She said to the man at the front desk. “I’m, um, I’m new. I just transferred, do you know where I can get my schedule?” 

“Name?” 

“Y/N L/N.” 

The man typed something into the computer and then grabbed a sheet of paper off the printer. He handed it to her. 

“That’s your schedule. Your locker number and combination are on the bottom. Welcome to Midtown.” 

He didn’t sound particularly excited. 

Y/N smiled anyway. “Thank you!” 

She looked down the hallway. No Peter. 

Y/N checked her watch. First period, which was chemistry, would begin in ten minutes. She was contemplating trying to find room M317 on her own when a tan boy with dark hair and a Superman tee-shirt came over to her. 

“Hi!” He smiled. “Are you Y/N L/N?” 

“That’s me. Hi?” 

“I’m Ned, Peter’s friend.” He said. 

“Oh! It’s nice to meet you.” Y/N said. “You wouldn’t happen to know where he is, would you? He was supposed to meet me.” 

“Oh yeah, he, um,” Ned leaned closer and lowered his voice, “He’s caught up in some Spider-man stuff right now.” 

Y/N raised her eyebrows. “Oh. You know about that?” 

“I wasn’t supposed to, but I saw him in his, uh, uniform once, so yeah.” 

“Does that mean you know that I–” 

“Met Peter at the, uh, Stark Internship? Yeah, he mentioned that.” Ned said. 

“Oh.” Y/N frowned. “I’ll have to talk to him about that.” 

“Don’t get too mad at him, he didn’t mean to. I’m good at keeping secrets, I promise. Better than he is.” Ned said. “Can I see your schedule? We might have a class together.” 

Y/N handed the paper to him. 

“Oh, sweet, you’re in my Chem and English classes!” Ned started walking, and Y/N followed. 

“Thanks for helping me out, Ned. I appreciate it.” 

“No problem! Peter told me a lot about you, and you seem even cooler in person.” 

“Thanks,” Y/N smiled. “He hasn’t told me much about you, though. What does Ned do apart from keep secrets?” 

“I read a lot of comics, and I like programming. Sometimes I hack, but that’s gotten me in trouble before. Um, Peter and I build legos sometimes. And have movie nights.” 

“That sounds great!” Y/N said. “I’m shit at programming, no matter how hard my dad tried to teach me, so that’s really impressive.” 

They reached the classroom. Ned sat next to Y/N and they chatted until the teacher came in and class began. 

Luckily for Y/N, she’d already learned thermodynamics at her old school, so she didn’t have to start the day completely overwhelmed and confused. By the end of the hour, her nerves had calmed a bit. 

The bell rang.

Ned looked at Y/N’s schedule again. “Okay, so your next class is just down the hall and to the right. I’ll find you at lunch and introduce you to everyone else.”  

“Thank you, Ned, really.” Y/N said. “You didn’t have to do all of this.” 

“What are friends for?” He said. “See you in a few hours!” 

Y/N smiled. 

_ Friends.  _

 

Y/N found her new favorite person. They met in History class, the period before lunch. Y/N sat down next to her in the third row, just far enough not to be too noticeable, but close enough not to get lumped in with the people at the back of the room who weren’t paying attention. 

“Hey.” She said. 

“Hey,” Y/N said. “I’m not taking anyone’s spot, am I?” 

“Yeah, but he’s an asshole, so I don’t really mind.” 

Y/N laughed. “I’m Y/N, by the way.” 

“So  _ you’re _ her.” She said, looking Y/N up and down. “I’m Michelle Jones. My friends call me MJ.” 

“I take it Peter Parker is one of those friends?” Y/N asked. “He needs to figure himself out. You all seem to know a lot about me, but he’s never said a word about you.” 

“What can I say, he’s an idiot.” 

Y/N laughed again. “He seems to have good taste in friends, though.” 

“He really hasn’t said much about me, then.” Michelle smiled. 

“Alright folks, let’s begin.” The teacher said, turning on the projector. 

The lecture involved a lot of Civil War era paintings, which Michelle and Y/N enjoyed much more than they were supposed to. They scribbled alternate titles for the artwork and passed them to each other, trying to hide their laughter. 

Michelle walked to the cafeteria with her after class. She told Y/N which lunch lady gave the biggest helpings and which ones probably poisoned the food. They sat down together at a table in the corner. Ned joined them a few minutes later. 

“Hey guys, how’s it going?” 

“Good!” Y/N said. “Michelle is laying out the lunchtime politics.” 

“MJ.” Michelle corrected. 

Y/N smiled. “ _ MJ _ was just telling me that we never sit in the middle, or we might get trampled by The Herd.” 

As if on cue, a chorus of male voices erupted from the middle of the cafeteria, jeering at some joke or thrown glob of mashed potato. 

Ned grimaced. “Yeah.” 

Y/N soon learned that MJ was a quietly talented artist, and Ned was half Hawaiian and half Filipino. Their friends Betty and Abe also stopped by briefly to say hello before heading off to finish a robotics project. 

Y/N was in the middle of telling them the story of how Morgan had tried to persuade her into giving her a cookie, when a tray set down on the table beside her. She looked up. 

Peter smiled at her. “Hey, Y/N.” 

She grinned. “Peter! You’re here!” 

“Where were you this morning, Parker?” MJ asked. 

“Um...doctor’s appointment.” Peter said, sitting down. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to meet you. I didn’t know I had the appointment until this morning.” 

“Ned told me.” Y/N said. “He and MJ have been an excellent welcoming party.” 

“Really? They haven’t scared you away?” Peter looked at MJ. 

She flipped him off. 

“Nope.” Y/N said. “I think I’m here to stay.” 

“Good.” Peter said. 

Peter and Y/N smiled at each other, silent for a moment. MJ raised an eyebrow at Ned across the table. Ned shrugged.

~

Peter sat on top of an apartment building while he watched the sun dip lower in the sky. A few blocks away, he saw her. She was flying, before tucking in her wings and diving. Peter pulled his mask back on. 

“Karen, any crimes reported in the area?” 

“There was a carjacking a few minutes ago, but Sparrow was just reported at the scene.” Karen said. 

“I should go help her.” 

“According to a witness’s Twitter feed, she’s got it covered.” 

“Karen.” 

“Oh, right. Yes, Peter, I think the situation needs your immediate assistance.” Karen said. 

Peter jumped off the roof, shooting a web and swinging through the streets. He arrived in time to see her pin the criminal to the sidewalk. His gun clattered to the ground, sliding towards Peter. The carjacker shoved Y/N away and scrambled to his feet. 

“Looking for this?” Peter said, dangling the weapon from one finger. 

He raised his other arm and shot two webs, attaching the guy’s knees to each other and binding his arms to his sides. Y/N kicked him in the knees and then elbowed him in the back of the head on his way to the ground, knocking him out. 

“I had this under control.” She said. 

“He was about to get away!” Peter protested. 

“Yeah. Sure.” Y/N said. “I think you owe me some ice cream, Spider-man.” 

“What?” 

“You abandoned me this morning.” 

“I had to–” 

“You could have asked me for help. I would have been there.” 

Peter rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“Okay,” he conceded. “Let’s go get some ice cream.” 

Y/N smiled. “I knew I could guilt you into it.” 

She took off, flying to the nearest Ben and Jerry’s. 

“Hey!” Peter swung after her. “That is so not fair.”  

Her laughter bounced off the glass-walled buildings, and he couldn’t help but smile. 


	3. Princesses and Pirates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babysitting isn't easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait a whole week to post this.

“Y/N, honey? Can you watch Morgan for the weekend? I have to go into the city for my meeting tomorrow with the architect and the contracting team.” Pepper called, while pulling on her shoes. “The fridge is fully stocked, but I should be back by Monday.” 

“So, juice pops for every meal, bedtime at midnight, and TV all day. Got it.” Y/N smiled. 

“Ha-ha.” Pepper deadpanned. 

“I’ll call if anything happens.” Y/N said. 

“Have fun.” Pepper kissed Y/N on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a few days.” 

“Bye, love you.” Y/N said. 

“Love you too.” 

After Pepper pulled out of the driveway and headed into the city, Y/N scooped up her younger sister and flew her around the room. 

“What should we do first, Laguna?” Y/N set her down. 

“Princesses and Pirates.” Morgan declared. 

“Right you are.” Y/N nodded seriously. “Which am I today?” 

Morgan tilted her head, studying her sister. “Pirate. I wanna be a pirate too.” 

“Who will be the princess, then?” 

Morgan picked up her stuffed rabbit. “Bun-bun can.” 

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Y/N said before bowing her head to Bun-bun in reverence. “Your Majesty.”

Morgan giggled. She ran to the corner of the room and rummaged through her box of toys, selecting a pirate hat and a cardboard sword. She shoved the hat onto her head and squeezed one eye shut, brandishing her sword at the somewhat threadbare princess. 

“Give us yer gold!” Morgan shrieked. 

“And your carrots!” Y/N added. 

Morgan laughed. “No! We don’t want carrots, silly.” 

Y/N raised her eyebrows. “We don’t? Oh, my bad. Just the gold then, please, Princess Bun-bun.” 

Bun-bun was a terrible negotiator, and the pirate sisters soon acquired all of her gold and moved on to Princess Teddy, Princess Butterfly, and Princess Moo-moo before Morgan got frustrated. 

“I want a better princess.” She pouted. 

“I could play a princess.” Y/N said, trying to look as regal as she could. 

Morgan hugged Y/N’s arm. “But I wanna be on your team!”

“What if we both have a turn at being princesses?” Y/N suggested. 

“That’s boring. I want a sword.” 

“Princesses can have swords.” Y/N pointed out. 

Morgan’s eyes widened. She grinned. The little Stark ran back to the toy box, digging until she found the sparkliest tiara. 

“I have detected movement outside from an unknown person.” FRIDAY’s voice said. “Activating security procedure.”

The lights dimmed. Locks on every door and window clicked as metal shades lowered over the windows. Y/N leapt over the table, turning her watch as she went. Her wings unfurled. She grabbed Morgan and held her close, wrapping the wings around them. The lights dimmed and iron shades covered the windows. 

“Do you have visual, FRIDAY?” Y/N asked. 

“They are now at the front door.” FRIDAY reported. 

A live security feed played on the hologram system Tony had installed in the living room. A figure in red stood, waving at the camera sheepishly. 

It was Peter. 

“FRIDAY, cancel security procedure.” Y/N said. 

Y/N retracted her wings and rushed to the front door. 

“Peter!” 

He gave her an awkward wave. “Hi, Y/N.” 

“What’s going on?” 

“I was in the area?” He said. 

Y/N took a second to really look at him. His lip had been recently split. He held a hand to his left side and favored the other foot. 

“You’re hurt.” She said.

“It’s not that bad.” He shrugged, but the movement made him wince. 

Y/N gently grabbed his arm and ushered him inside. She sat him down on the couch in the living room before heading the hall closet for the first aid kit. Morgan walked over to Peter, carrying her pirate sword as if there had been no interruption at all to the game. 

“Hi, Peter!” She said. “Wanna play Princesses and Pirates?”

Y/N answered for him. “Peter has a boo-boo, Laguna. I’m going to help him with that first, okay?” 

Morgan’s shoulders drooped, but she nodded her head in acknowledgement. Y/N crouched down in front of her and pressed a kiss to her head. 

“You can have a juice pop while you’re waiting.” 

Morgan’s face lit up and she scurried from the room. 

“Do I get a juice pop?” Peter asked. 

“I don’t know,” Y/N said. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, showing up like that.” 

“I’m sorry…” 

Y/N knelt in front of him, examining his face. She grabbed a disinfectant wipe and cleaned the scratches on his jaw.

“What happened?” She asked. 

“Picked a fight.” He said. 

“Uh-huh.” She said. “Care to elaborate?” 

“We ended up out here. I won.” He smiled. 

Y/N sat back, looking at him. He didn’t seem to want to say anything more, so she let it go. She didn’t tell him about all her fights, either. Y/N gently pressed her hand to his side. He flinched. 

“Barely.” She said, eyebrow raised. 

“I had Karen do a scan, I’m just bruised.” Peter said. “Besides, I heal fast.” 

Y/N nodded. “Ice will help.” 

Y/N led him into the kitchen, where Morgan was finishing her juice pop. The little girl grinned, her mouth tinted purple. Y/N smiled softly, grabbing a towel and wiping Morgan’s face. She opened the freezer next and handed Peter a bag of frozen peas. He smiled sheepishly and held them to his side. 

Morgan looked up at her sister. “Did you kiss his boo-boo better?” 

Y/N’s eyes went wide. “Oh–um, no, I just have him a band-aid.” 

“You always kiss my boo-boos better.” Morgan shrugged, turning to Peter. “Do you want to play Princesses and Pirates now?”

“Sure, yeah.” He said. 

“Yay!” She squealed, running to the toy box. 

He looked at Y/N, helpless. “How do you play?” 

Morgan ran back and shoved a tiara into his hand. “It’s easy. You’re the princess and we’re the pirates.” 

“Oh.” 

Y/N put her hand over her mouth. Peter saw the laughter in her eyes, though, and sent her a look. He carefully set the crown in his hair. Y/N cleared her throat. 

“You look lovely in a tiara, Peter.” Y/N offered. 

“Thank you.” 

Morgan brandished her sword. “Give us yer gold!” 

Peter raised his eyebrows. “Oh, um, no?” 

“Don’t make me ask ye again, Your Majesty!” 

“Well, if you insist.” He held out the bag of peas. 

“Thank you.” Morgan said. 

She accepted the treasure, but made a face upon making contact with the cold bag. She yelped and tossed it to Y/N. 

“Hold that, please, Lieutenant.” 

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Y/N caught the bag and proceeded to hand it to Peter behind her back. 

He smiled, pressing it against his side again. Morgan skipped off to find paper so she could draw a treasure map for the gold. She got about three squiggly lines in before the sugar from the juice pop wore off and her eyelids began to droop. 

Y/N crouched beside her. “Hey Laguna, I think it’s time to get ready for bed.” 

Morgan yawned. “But I’m not tired yet.” 

Y/N stretched her arms above her head. “Really? I’m beat.” 

“You know,” Peter said. “I bet you could get ready for bed waaaay faster than Y/N can.” 

“What? No way.” Y/N objected. 

Morgan turned away from her treasure map. “Yeah I can.” 

“Prove it.” Y/N said. “Peter, will you time us?” 

“Alright, ready...set...go!” Peter said. 

Morgan dashed for the stairs, too eager to win to notice that Y/N was following at a suspiciously leisurely pace. 

“I’ve got this covered.” Y/N said over her shoulder. “You should sit and rest. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” 

Peter smiled. He poured himself a glass of water, but didn’t want to disturb the kitchen any further than that. He went back into the living room. Peter inspected the photographs on the mantle. There as an especially cute one of ten year old Y/N standing with Tony on the top of the old Stark Tower. She was missing a front tooth and her hair was in a messy french braid. Peter smiled.  

“Peter!” Morgan called from upstairs. “Come say goodnight!” 

He obeyed, shaking his head with a smile. He found Morgan tucked into bed, her galaxy patterned blankets pulled up to her chin. Y/N lay beside Morgan on the bed with a copy of  _ Big Bad Wolves at School  _ in hand. 

“Will you tell me a story about being Spider-man?” Morgan asked. 

“Morgan, it’s time to go to sleep.” Y/N said. 

“I think we have time for one Spider-man story.” Peter said. “Do you want to hear how I got my really cool suit?” 

“Yes!” 

“Well, a little while after I started being Spider-man–”

“You have to come be on the bed.” Morgan interrupted. 

“We tell stories on the bed.” Y/N said. 

“Oh, okay.” 

Peter squeezed onto the tiny bed on the other side of Morgan. He stretched his arm out across the pillows, trying to balance. His fingers brushed against Y/N’s hair. He resisted the temptation to run his hand through it. Morgan tucked her head into the crook of Y/N’s shoulder and stuck her thumb in her mouth, ready to listen. 

“A little while after I started being Spider-man, your dad designed a new suit for me. It had all kinds of cool additions that I could never have figured out on my own, but I couldn’t use them until I learned more about being a superhero. I didn’t understand then that he was trying to help me out, so I bypassed what he called the ‘Baby Monitor Protocol.’ I was in the middle of trying to stop this bad guy called Vulture and I ended up in a big containment warehouse. I had hours and hours to try and learn about the cool stuff my suit could do, and–” 

Morgan’s eyes were closed. She breathed deep, steady breaths. Y/N smiled at Peter and gently untangled the child from her. Peter got up slowly, terrified of disturbing her. Y/N switched off the light and they crept out of the bedroom. 

“You’re good at that.” Y/N said. 

“Telling boring stories?”

“Dealing with kids.” Y/N said. 

She looked at her watch. 

“It’s pretty late. Does May know where you are?” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Shit. I knew I forgot something.” 

“You’re welcome to stay here, but you should call May.” 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Peter said, “Thank you.” 

Y/N opened the door to the guest room and flicked on the light. 

“I’ll go get you some real clothes to wear. Be back in a minute.” She said. 

Y/N walked down the hall to the master bedroom. She grabbed the first tee shirt and pair of sweatpants she saw in Tony’s drawer before shutting it quickly. When she got back down the hall, Peter was on the phone. She left the clothes on the guest bed for him. 

He smiled at her while talking to May. “I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry–Yes, I’m fine.” 

Y/N turned around and left him to the phone call, heading down the hall in the other direction to her room. 

“Oh!” She realized, pivoting and turning back. 

She opened the guest room door. “Peter, I forgot to–” 

Y/N stopped abruptly. Peter stood before her, with his suit pulled part way off. The red and blue fabric gathered at his waist, revealing an unfairly muscular chest and stomach. Y/N froze, staring at him. Somehow, she managed to rip her gaze away from his abs to his brown eyes. 

“...show you where the bathroom is. Shit, should have knocked. I’ll come back. Sorry.” Y/N said, spinning around and escaping as fast as she could. 

Y/N pressed her back against the wall next to the door. 

It’s fine, she told herself. You’ve watched TV, you’ve been to the beach, you’ve seen guys without shirts before. You just happened to see Peter without a shirt. It’s fine. 

She took a couple deep breaths. Her heartbeat stopped clamoring quite so hard against her ribs. The door opened and Peter stepped out, pulling the shirt over his head. Y/N caught a glimpse of his stomach. She blinked hard, re-focusing her gaze on his shoes. 

“What were you going to show me?” Peter asked. 

Y/N looked up into his face. He was smiling. 

“You’re laughing at me.” She said. 

“What?” Peter tried to make his mouth a straight line. “No. No, of course not.” 

“Sure, Spider-man.” Y/N smiled. “ _ Anyway,  _ the bathroom is right here.” 

“Thanks.” 

Silence descended. Peter stood close enough for her to feel how warm he was. He looked at her with those brown eyes.  

Y/N took a few steps towards the stairs. “Do you want to watch a movie?” 

“Sure.” Peter followed her back to the living room. 

“Is  _ Star Wars  _ okay?” Y/N asks. 

Peter nodded. “I love that movie!”

The opening titles steadily traveled up the screen.  _ A long, long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away… _

“This was Dad’s favorite thing to watch with me.” Y/N said. “When I was learning to use my wings, he kept calling me ‘young padawan.’” 

“I told him I wanted to be like him once.” Peter said as the sands of Tatooine blew across the screen. “He told me he wanted me to be better.” 

Y/N looked at Peter. She gently took his hand, crossing the few inches of space between them on the couch. 

“He’d be proud of us, Peter. He  _ was _ proud of us.” 

Peter looked at her. His eyes were shining, just like hers. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. 

R2-D2 beeped. 

Y/N both turned back to the TV. Peter looked at her for a moment longer before doing the same, settling in for the rest of the film. 

They kept their fingers intertwined. 

By the time C3-PO was freaking out about the trio being stuck in the trash compactor, Y/N was asleep. Peter noticed the deepening of her breaths and the way her head had begun to nod. Soon enough, she leaned to the left, resting her head on his shoulder. 

He adjusted their position, finally letting go of her hand so he could put his arm around her. It was so she’d sleep more comfortably, he told himself. She shifted, her face turned towards him. 

He felt her breath on his neck. 

Peter looked down at her face, sleep-smoothed and peaceful. He brought his other hand up slowly and brushed her hair behind her ear. She mumbled something in her sleep. 

He froze. 

Y/N didn’t wake. Instead, she nuzzled closer, lured in by his warmth. Peter smiled. 

The movie ended faster than he would have liked. He’d looked at the images on the screen, heard the words that were said; but all he’d listened to was the sound of Y/N sleeping, felt the comforting feeling of her body fitting next to his like two puzzle pieces.

Peter turned off the TV as the credits rolled. He gently slid an arm behind Y/N’s back and another beneath her knees. He lifted her with little trouble and carried her up the stairs. She curled into him. Peter felt a swell of protective pride bloom in his chest. She was safe, she was comfortable and content with him. He found her room and laid her gently on the bed. 

Her eyes opened when he pulled away, already growing colder without her. She wasn’t awake enough to remember the moment in the morning, but she reached for him to come back, to stay. She smiled at him. He smiled back. Y/N closed her eyes and drifted off again. 

“Good night, Y/N.” Peter whispered, letting go. 

He closed the door and walked down the hall to the guest room, wishing with every step that he had stayed. 


	4. Opportunities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

The first warning bell rang. Peter stood outside the front doors, waiting. He saw a black car pull up by the curb, watching as she stepped out with her backpack. Y/N gave Happy a smile and a fist bump as a goodbye. She saw him then, and waved, jogging up the rest of the walkway to greet him. 

Peter grinned. 

“Hey.” She said, stopping in front of him. 

“Hey.” He smiled back at her. 

They turned and walked inside together. 

“So, did you have a good weekend?” Peter asked. 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, I did. Unexpected sleepover.” 

Peter nodded. “Those are always the most fun.”

“True.” Y/N opened her locker, stowing a few textbooks away for later.  

Peter crossed his arms, pressing his shoulder against the locker next to hers. He watched the other kids walk down the hall. Y/N shut her locker, looking at him again. She smiled. He smiled back. 

“Y/N, I, um, wanted to, uh–” 

“What’s with the cool guy lean, Parker? Trying to channel your inner Judd Nelson?” MJ clapped her friend on the back, coming to stand next to him. 

“What? N-no.” Peter scoffed, standing up straight. 

“Yeah, okay.” 

Y/N watched Peter, waiting to hear what he had been about to say. He didn’t say anything. He just scratched the back of his head sheepishly as Ned joined them. 

“Good morning everyone.” Ned said. 

“Hey, Ned.” 

The bell rang again. 

“What did you think of that Chem homework?” Ned asked Y/N as they headed down the hallway. 

“The stoichiometry section was fine, but I had trouble on the thermodynamics problem.” She said. 

“I, uh, I could’ve helped you with that.” Peter said. “I’m pretty good at thermodynamics.” 

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?” 

“Not at all.” 

They paused outside the classroom. 

“I’ll ask next time, then.” Y/N said. 

“Next time.” Peter nodded. 

They smiled at each other again. 

“Ooookay,” Ned intoned after a moment. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to go inside now.” 

Y/N tucked her hair behind her ear, looking away from Peter. “Yeah, me too.” 

“I’ll see you in English.” Peter said. 

“See you then, Peter.” She followed Ned into the classroom. Peter stood in the hallway smiling for just a moment before going on his way. 

~

“What’s up with you and Peter?” MJ asked. 

“What do you mean?” Y/N furrowed her brow. 

“Ever since Monday you guys have been...weird.” Ned said. 

“Weird how?” Y/N asked. “I haven’t noticed anything.” 

“I call BS on that.” MJ said. “What happened over the weekend?” 

“Peter slept over at my house.” Y/N said, pushing some mushy peas around with her fork. 

“You guys hooked up?!” 

“What?” Y/N yelped. “No! No, no no! No. We did not. He just...ended up in the area and had to stay the night.” 

MJ sat back, studying her friend. 

“I’m telling the truth, MJ.” 

“Just not all of it.” Ned said. 

“Ned! I thought you were the good cop.” 

Ned shrugged. 

“So what happened?” MJ asked. 

“Literally nothing.” Y/N said. “I had to watch Morgan while Pepper was working so Peter helped me babysit and then we watched Star Wars.” 

“And?” 

Y/N groaned. “Fine. I also saw him shirtless. And I think he carried me to bed because I fell asleep during the movie but I woke up in my room.” 

“You saw him half naked and yet you insist that nothing happened.” Ned smiled. 

“Shut up.” Y/N threw a pea at him. “He had to change and I accidently walked in. I left immediately and  _ nothing else happened. _ ” 

“Did you like what you saw?” MJ grinned. 

Y/N flushed. “I–no. Well, yes, I don’t mean I didn’t like it, he’s very...um, fit, but I don’t–ugh.” 

She held her head in her hands, embarrassed. 

“You like Peter Parker.” MJ said. “I mean I don’t really get it, he’s so...Peter.”  

“I think you two would be good together.” Ned said. “You get each other.” 

“I don’t know. We’re such good friends...what if it screws everything up?” Y/N said. 

“You shouldn’t let fear stop you from being more.” 

“Being more what?” Peter asked, setting his tray down next to Y/N. 

“More, um, better at thermodynamics.” Y/N said. 

“More better?” Peter laughed. 

“Give me a break. The history lecture, though interesting, has fried my brain.” Y/N said. 

“Well I hope you feel more better soon.” He teased. 

Y/N bumped him with her shoulder playfully, laughing. She caught MJ’s pointed stare and froze, trying to ignore his leg pressing against hers. She looked at her watch. 

“Oh shit, I have to go. I’m meeting with Mr. Lance in ten minutes.” She said. 

“Oh.” Peter tried to hide his crestfallen expression. 

“I’ll see you guys later.”

Once Y/N was out of the lunch room, MJ leaned forward, resuming her detective manner. 

“How was that sleepover this past weekend, Parker?” 

“Did she tell you about that?” Peter asked. 

“MJ kind of intimidated it out of her.” Ned explained. 

“Why didn’t you make a move? I’ve been watching you be puppy love Peter for  _ weeks,  _ and you didn’t take the opportunity of  _ cuddling on a couch  _ after she drooled over your abs to make a move?” 

“I wouldn’t say she was drooling–wait did she say that?” 

“MJ is embellishing.” 

“Paraphrasing.” MJ said. “You should go for it, Peter.” 

“Going for it hasn’t really worked out for me so well in the past.” Peter said. 

“She’s not Liz.” Ned said. 

“She probably doesn’t like me.” Peter protested

“She does.” MJ said. “She just needs a push in the right direction.” 

~

They walked to the station together. Happy drove Y/N in in the mornings, but she headed home with Pepper in the evenings. That meant catching a train to the building site for the new Avengers facility. The train happened to be the same one Peter took home every day. 

The car was packed, so they stood shoulder to shoulder, holding on the same support pole. Peter’s hand slid down slightly, his fingers brushing against hers. She held up her phone to show him an Instagram video. 

“Send that to me.” He laughed.  

His hand didn’t move. 

The train got more and more crowded the farther they went. Two stops away from where Y/N got off, the car lurched. The man on Y/N’s other side knocked into her, throwing her off balance. She pitched forward. 

Peter caught her, hands steady. One hand gripped her upper arm and the other held her waist. Y/N drew closer to him, like iron filings to a powerful magnet. They breathed the same air. His nose bumped gently into hers. She began to close her eyes, ready for whatever was about to happen, when the doors opened with a hiss. 

Passengers shuffled around them, reminding the two teenagers that they were not, in fact, alone. Peter leaned back, but kept his hands on her in case she lost her balance.

“You okay?” He asked. 

“Yeah. Just got a little pushed.” She said, stepping back and holding onto the pole again. 

Peter’s eyes widened. He looked down at the floor, trying to calm the rapid beat of his heart. They stood in silence until Y/N’s stop. 

“Bye Peter,” She said. “See you tomorrow.” 

The doors opened and she navigated through the throng to the platform. Peter stayed in the car, wrestling with himself. 

“Dammit.” He muttered, lunging for the door to stop it from closing. 

“Watch it, man!” 

“Sorry!” He called over his shoulder as he bolted from the train. 

Peter ran, trying not to knock into anyone. 

“Y/N! Y/N?” He called

He stopped in the center of the platform, scanning the crowd for her. He saw no sign of her anywhere. His heart sank. 

“I don’t walk that fast. You ran right past me, dumbass.” 

Peter spun around. Y/N crossed her arms, trying to keep her grin that was threatening to appear at bay. 

“Did I forget something on the train?” She asked. 

“Yes. Well, no.” Peter struggled. “I forgot something on the train. To say. I forgot something I was going to say.” 

“Okay…” 

Peter took a step closer, looking her in the face. 

“Do you, um, do you want to–oh my God this is hard–” He ran a hand through his hair. “I like you. A lot. If you’d want to go out with me sometime, that would be…” 

He trailed off as the insane bravery that had possessed him waned. 

“I’d love to.” Y/N smiled. 

Peter perked up. “Really?” 

“Yeah. I, um, I like you too, Peter Parker.” 

“I’m very happy to hear that, Y/N L/N.” 

~

“Ooh, you look fancy!” Morgan exclaimed. 

She jumped off of her mother’s lap and dashed over to Y/N. The five year old ran her hands over the fabric of Y/N’s dress in admiration. 

“You look beautiful sweetie.” Pepper agreed, walking over to inspect her adopted daughter. 

“Thank you.” Y/N said, taking a deep breath. 

“Nervous?” Pepper asked, putting a hand on Y/N’s shoulder. 

“A little.” Y/N said. “I wasn’t expecting a fancy first date. I thought he’d just want to go to the movies.” 

“You two have already gone to the movies. He wants to make you feel special.” Pepper said. “Not many high school boys would do that.” 

“I know.” Y/N looked to the side, thinking to herself. “I really like him.” 

“I know.” Pepper chuckled. “That’s why your dad kept you two from meeting for so long.” 

“What?” 

“He saw this one coming from ten miles away.” Pepper said. 

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Protective little sh–” 

She cut herself off, remembering the very impressionable little ears nearby. They heard the crunch of tires on the driveway. 

“Happy’s here.” Pepper said. “Time to go have some fun.” 

Y/N pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll be back by eleven.” 

“Midnight is fine.” Pepper winked. 

Peter was already in the car when she walked outside. Y/N slid into the backseat with him. 

“You look really pretty.” Peter said, eyes wide. 

Y/N reached out and touched his tie. 

“You too. Very dashing.” She smiled. 

“Thanks.” 

Happy gave them some side eye from the front seat as they pulled out of the drive. 

“No funny business.” He said. 

“Happy!” Y/N blushed. 

“Just wanted to set the ground rules.” Happy said. 

 

The restaurant was on a rooftop. Peter and Y/N sat beneath string lights and the stars, enjoying the familiar view. 

“This place is really nice.” Y/N said.

“Is it too much? I knew it was overkill. We can go somewhere else–” 

Y/N reached across the table, covering his hand with her own. “It’s wonderful.” 

Peter took a breath. He smiled. 

“Good, good.” 

“Just to be clear though, I don’t need fancy restaurants all the time. You know I’m usually happy with a cheeseburger and milkshake.” Y/N said. 

“I know.” 

Their waiter arrived. “Can I start you off with some drinks?” 

It was unequivocally the best date ever. 

They talked and joked and debated the merits of certain movie subplots and laughed. At the end of the night they fought over the bill, and Y/N won until Peter got up “to use the bathroom” and slipped his debit card to the waiter. They walked back down to the street. 

“Ice cream?” Peter asked. 

“Yes, please.” Y/N said. 

As they walked, Peter’s fingers brushed against her. Still looking forward, Y/N hooked her pinky around his, slipping her hand into his. The continued on their way, fingers intertwined. They broke apart long enough to accept their cones and find a table at the ice cream shop. Y/N took his hand again when they were sitting, already enjoying the feeling of being held by him, being connected to him, too wonderful to be without it for long. 

He laughed. 

“What?” 

“You have ice cream on your nose.” Peter pointed out.

Peter leaned forward and wiped it off with his napkin. Y/N leaned towards him. She felt that undeniable sensation of attraction again, the metal to the magnet. Peter felt it too, leaning closer until he turned and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. 

Y/N wanted more. 

She turned her head, their noses bumping again. Peter’s hand came up, holding her cheek. Again, she closed her eyes–ready. 

The bell above the shop’s door jingled. A man cleared his throat. 

Y/N sighed, pulling away from Peter. She glared at the newcomer, only for her anger to melt into surprise. 

“Sorry to interrupt, well not that sorry, but I had to.” Sam Wilson said. 

“Sam, what are you doing here?” Y/N wondered. 

He stepped closer to their table, lowering his voice. 

“You gotta come with me, little sister. Get that ice cream to go.” 

“What? Why?” Peter said. 

“Mission. Requires wings.” Sam said. 

“How about webs? I’ll come too.” Peter said, pushing back his chair. 

Sam held out a hand. “Chill out, kid. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but we’re good. She’ll be back in a day or two to continue whatever this is.” 

Sam shuddered in mock disgust. Y/N slapped him on the arm. 

“You’re paying for our ice cream.” She said. 

“Fair enough, lil sis, fair enough.” 

Y/N squeezed Peter’s hand. 

“I’m so sorry tonight has to end like this.” She said. 

“Do you really have to go?”  

“The date was perfect.” She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.” 

“C’mon, we gotta go.” Sam said. 

Peter watched her walk out the door. A sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. 


	5. Mistakes

“Sparrow, look out!” Sam bellowed. 

The fighter jet sprayed a barrage of bullets in her direction. Y/N tucked her wings close to her body, shielding her body from the lethal metal. She began to fall, unable to flap her wings until the fire ceased. 

She fell about 50 feet until she was out of its sights and could begin the ascent again. 

That’s when the blast hit. 

It came out of nowhere. They hadn’t seen the other plane coming. Y/N cried out at the pain in her shoulder. She looked over to see that it had taken out her right wing, cutting a hole clean through the metal. 

Y/N plummeted. 

“No!” Sam dove for her, racing gravity. 

His hand was only a few inches away from her when she hit the snow. 

~

Peter couldn’t take it anymore. 

Three days went by since their date and he hadn’t seen her once. She wasn’t answering his texts or calls. His stomach was a knotted ball of worry. He couldn’t sit still, let alone focus on school. 

All this not knowing was killing him. 

After the fourth period bell rang, Peter grabbed his stuff and left school. He got on the train and rode to the stop where he’d finally asked her out. He didn’t stop reminisce, continuing on his way to the partially built Avengers facility. One of the builders stopped him. 

“This is a restricted site, kid.” 

“I need to see Pepper Potts.” Peter insisted. 

Pepper came to stand behind the builder, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“It’s okay. He’s with me.” She said. 

Pepper beckoned him to follow her. She led him away from the construction to a quiet bench down the block. 

“Where is she?” Peter asked. “Is she okay?”

Pepper sighed. “I don’t know.” 

“What?” 

“Communication cut out after a few hours. Assuming everything went according to plan, they were supposed to be home last night.” Pepper said. 

Peter shot to his feet, fist clenching and unclenching. Pepper reached up and pulled him back down. 

“I have people out looking for them, Peter.” Pepper said. 

“Send me, too. I can help.” 

“No you can’t, Peter, it’s classified and potentially dangerous.” 

“Then why did you let them send her?” Peter shouted, his eyes shining. 

Pepper took a shaky breath. 

“I don’t know.” She said it more to herself than to him. 

 

The jet flew in that night and Sam was the first to get off, carrying Y/N in his arms. 

“Peter,” Aunt May shook his shoulder gently. “Peter, wake up.” 

He lifted his head up, groggily becoming aware of his surroundings. He’d fallen asleep at his desk, head on his arms. 

“What?” He murmured. 

“Pepper just called. Y/N’s back.” May said. 

Peter sat up straight, fully awake. “Is she okay?” 

“She’s alive.” May said. “She’s at the hospital.” 

“What? What happened?” Peter stood up, needing to move, to act.

“I don’t know. That’s all Pepper said.”

“Which hospital?” He asked, pulling on his shoes. 

“Peter, it’s four in the morning.” 

“Which hospital? May, I have to go. I have to see her.” He insisted. 

May sighed, reaching out and brushing her hand through his hair like she used to do when he was little. “I know. Hang on, let me get dressed. I’ll drive.” 

“Thank you.” 

~

Y/N was a stranger. She looked so different, laying there in the hospital bed. Her body was made small by the bed and the excess of wires and tubes monitoring and nourishing her. Her face was bruised. Cuts and scratches littered her arms, her hands, her neck and cheeks. Peter stepped closer, his chest tight. 

He remembered holding her as she slept, her face smooth and peaceful. This was different. She was gone, floating somewhere far away. 

Peter stumbled, closing the final few feet between himself and the bed. Tears ran down his face. He grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb methodically over her skin. 

“Wake up, Y/N. Please,” His voice broke. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have let you go. I’m so sorry.” 

He felt Aunt May’s hand on his back. 

“This isn’t your fault, Peter.” 

He turned around, dropping his head onto her shoulder and sobbing. May wrapped her arms around him in a protective embrace. 

“I can’t lose her too.” 

 

She woke up a few hours later. 

Peter was by her side, holding her hand. She smiled at him in those first few seconds of wakefulness, the sight of him telling her she was home. 

“You’re awake.” Peter breathed. 

Her smile faded when she saw the dark circles under his eyes and the tears on his cheeks. She reached for him, hand weak and shaking. Y/N brushed a tear from his cheek. 

“Why are you crying?” She whispered, throat dry and scratchy. 

Peter grabbed a cup from beside the bed and helped her drink. He settled her back against the pillows. He wiped the rest of the tears from his face with the back of his hand. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” 

“Don’t hide, Peter. What’s wrong?” Y/N brow was furrowed in concern. 

“I–” Peter’s eyes shone. “I thought I was going to lose you, Y/N. I–that thought, the idea of you...it terrified me.” 

He was so sincere, staring at her earnestly. Peter was open with her, completely vulnerable. It was too much. 

She looked away, down at the white hospital blanket across her lap. Y/N felt her own fears creeping up, squeezing at her heart and clawing at her throat. She made him cry, her life and his happiness hopelessly intertwined, like their hands. 

Y/N pulled out of his grasp.  She adjusted the blanket, fiddling with the fabric. 

She thought of Tony, she thought of Vision, of her parents. She thought about Peter’s parents and his uncle Ben. She thought about the loss, the grief deep in the pit of her stomach. 

She looked at Peter, and how he looked at her. 

“I don’t think I can do this.” Y/N said. 

“Hm?” Peter tilted his head, confused. “Do you want me to call a nurse? Maybe you can move rooms–” 

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Y/N said, tears pricking at her eyes now. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I can’t...I don’t want to hurt you Peter.” She said. 

“Y/N…” 

“I care about you so much, but that–that’s dangerous, Peter. I can’t do this all again, I can’t put you through what we went through after the snap–” 

“What are you saying?” 

“I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” Y/N said, tears finally falling. “I can’t take another broken heart, Peter.” 

“Don’t do this.” 

“I can’t hurt you like this again, Peter. I won’t.” She said. 

“Y/N, please.” 

“It’s better this way.” She said. 

She didn’t believe the words even as they left her lips. 

~

The silence was deafening. 

Y/N was back at school, but she was different. She sat in the back corner of the classroom and only said quick hellos and goodbyes to MJ and Ned. Y/N sat alone in the lunch room with her hood up to conceal the bruises and cuts. She’d told them it was a car accident, but Ned and MJ knew better. 

Peter was different too. He averted his eyes and clenched his fists when her name was mentioned. He insisted he “didn’t want to talk about it” anytime either of them asked what was going on. 

Y/N and Peter became dark thunderclouds, silent and brooding. Everyone around them dreaded the day they would collide. 

 

Lightning struck a month later. 

Actual rain clouds gathered above the city, rumbling as the sun went down. Peter threw his backpack on his bed. He stripped off his clothes roughly and pulled on his suit. 

He wanted to fight some bad guys. It was the only thing he could do. 

Peter threw open his window and crawled out before swinging away, on the lookout for the first criminal he could find. 

He saw her crying that day. She was trying to hide behind the door of her locker, but he noticed. It made his stomach twist and his heart pound. He wanted to reach for her, to hold her and make it right. But he couldn’t. 

Peter couldn’t protect her, but he could protect his city. 

He could take down a gang, right? He was Spider-man. No way he could be outnumbered in the pouring rain and lose. No way. 

He fell on the ground, shoulder meeting the wet asphalt. One of the guys grabbed him by the arms while another kicked him in the stomach. The air rushed out of his lungs, making him cough. 

“Not so tough, huh, Spider-man?” 

They punched him in the face, knocking his head to the side. His vision swam. 

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” 

Y/N landed behind them in the alley, a winged shadow of vengeance. The guy pulled out a switchblade, flicking it open. Y/N shot him with a blaster, knocking him against the wall. 

“You bitch!” Another yelled, running at her. 

“Hey!” Peter protested weakly. 

She swept the thug aside with her wing, catching him in the knees with the sharp edges of the feathers. He fell to the ground with a cry of pain. 

“Anyone else?” She challenged. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of here!” 

The remaining two bolted, dropping Peter’s arms and letting him fall the ground. Y/N didn’t chase them. Her focus was on Peter. She grabbed him, using all of her strength to lift him up, supporting him by the shoulders. She flew them away to an empty rooftop. Y/N propped him up next to a vent and retracted her wings. Peter tugged off his mask, needing to breathe more easily. The rain plastered his hair to his forehead. His lip bled and bruises were already forming on his jaw. 

Y/N’s hands went to his face, searching for injuries. He remembered the night at her house, the same expression of intent concern. Drops of water ran down her face, dripping off of her nose and hair onto their suits. 

“Where did they hurt you? Are you bleeding?” She asked. 

“I’m okay.” Peter said. 

“They were going to kill you.” 

“Are you hurt?” He asked, sitting up with a wince. 

She pushed him back down, leaning closer over him. “I’m fine. They didn’t touch me.” 

“Good.” He said. 

Y/N looked at him then. It was the first time she’d really seen his eyes in weeks outside of her dreams. They were inviting and perfect and all his. She felt powerless, next to magnet again after so long. She could feel his breath, warm against her rain chilled skin. 

Y/N closed the remaining half an inch between them. She kissed him like it was the last thing she would ever do. Peter tasted like cinnamon. He cradled her head in his hands, kissing her back. Her hand slid down to his chest. She felt his heartbeat, hammering at the same rapid pace as her own. The rain beat down on them, but neither felt it. 

They pulled apart to breathe. Y/N held her hand to her mouth as he brain caught up with her heart. 

“I love you.” Peter breathed.

Her heart stuttered. She wanted to say it back. It was on the tip of her tongue. The fear in her throat grabbed those three words and pulled them back. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She began to cry. 

She scrambled backwards, out of his reach. Y/N twisted her watch, unfurling her wings again and flying away. 

Peter dropped his head into his hands and sobbed. 


	6. Happy Endings

_ “Hi, this is Pepper Potts. I can’t get to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” _

“Hey Pepper, it’s May. May Parker. I’m Peter’s aunt. I was–well, I’m calling because I’m worried. Peter hasn’t been himself since that night at the hospital and he won’t talk to me about it. He usually tells me everything. If he’s like this I wanted to check in about Y/N. We miss her around her, and uh, I was hoping maybe you and I could talk sometime about how to get our kids back up and out of the dumps. Anyway, call me when you get a chance. Thanks. Bye.” 

“ _ Hey, you’ve reached May. I’m not picking up at the moment because it’s slightly out of reach and that’s just too much work, so leave a message and I’ll get back to you at some point in the next ten years. Here comes the beep!”  _

“Hi May, this is Pepper. I’m just returning your call from earlier. Are you available for lunch this week? Y/N is definitely...unwell. I’m flying blind here so any advice you have or any brainstorming we can do would be very welcome. Call me or send me a text and we’ll set something up. Talk soon, bye.” 

~

The sketchbook slapped down on the table, making Y/N jump. She looked up from the mashed potatoes she’d been picking at to see MJ standing above her. MJ didn’t say anything, she just gestured for Y/N to look at the pages. 

Y/N complied, flipping through page after page of herself and Peter. Neither smiled, their faces tired and melancholy. MJ dropped into the seat across from her friend. 

“You know, normally I love to draw people in crisis, but the two of you are really making me sick of it.” She said. 

“MJ, you don’t understand, I can’t–” 

“You got hurt being the Sparrow so you broke up with Spider-man and are avoiding the people who care about you most because you’re scared.” MJ said. 

Y/N was stunned. 

“I was in a car accident, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Yeah. You and Peter are terrible liars.” MJ said, crossing her arms. 

Y/N leaned forward, whispering. “Fine. You’re right, but to a lot of other people, my secret identity is still a secret.” 

“Fair enough.” MJ said. “Now, can we talk about how ridiculous you’re being?” 

“I’m not being ridiculous, I’m being practical.” 

“How is shutting people out practical? I’ve tried it, and it only made me as miserable as you are now.” MJ argued. 

“You don’t understand, MJ. I’ve lost friends because of what I do. I lost my parents. I lost my dad. Getting emotionally involved, having friends that I care about...it’s just asking for heartbreak. I don’t want to put you through what I’ve been through. I can’t do that to you.” 

“Or Peter.” 

Y/N tugged at her earring, refusing to make eye contact. 

“Everyone dies, Y/N. You can’t prevent that.” MJ said. “We’re all happier when we have people we love. You deserve that.” 

Y/N shook her head. 

“You do, Y/N. When you realize that, we’ll be waiting for you.” MJ got up and walked back to where Ned, Betty, and Abraham were sitting. 

Peter hadn’t come in that day. 

Y/N’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Sam. She swung her backpack up onto her shoulder and grabbed her tray. MJ watched as she left the lunch room. She nodded to Ned. He pulled out his phone and sent May a text under the table. 

~

The mission was straightforward: stakeout an arms from the top of a nearby building. Y/N figured it would be pretty easy if the criminals were planning a deal in the middle of the afternoon. Her suspicions first arose when she arrived at her position. 

It was the rooftop she and Peter often used to meet up. It was where they had first become friends, where he’d told her about Ben and she told him about Tony. It couldn’t really be a coincidence, could it? She pushed her doubts aside and got into position. 

Everything fell into place when a certain friendly neighborhood Spider-man swung onto the roof a few minutes later. 

“Oh,” He said, the eyes of his mask widening as his did the same. “Sorry, I didn’t know–” 

“Me neither.” She said. “Did Sam text you too?” 

“No, May told me she saw that there was an arms deal gone bad going down…” 

Y/N looked down at the street. People bustled around in the sunshine, talking on their phones, listening to music, and just going about their lives. 

“I’m starting to think there’s no arms deal planned for two o’clock in the afternoon.” Y/N said, retracting her wings.  

“Oh.” 

“I think our friends and family are meddling.” Y/N said. 

Peter took a step closer. “Really?” 

“And I think they’re probably right.” She said. “Peter...we should talk.” 

He laughed. It was short, without much humor. 

“Now you want to talk?” He pulled off his mask in exasperation. 

Y/N looked down at her hands. “I know...I–” 

“No, wait. I want to say something first.” He said. “I wanted to say this at the hospital, and I wanted to say it in the rain, but you never gave me the chance.” 

Y/N remained silent, waiting. 

“You said you didn’t want to hurt me. You said you couldn’t take another broken heart.” Peter moved even closer, only a foot or so away from her. 

She couldn’t stay quiet anymore, the words bubbling up her throat and begging to be let out. 

“Because I love you, Peter!” She exclaimed. “I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before and  _ it’s terrifying. _ I didn’t–I couldn’t stand the idea of losing you, so I thought it would be better if we, if I–” 

She began to cry. Peter took another step closer, his gaze softening. 

“I broke my own heart, Peter. I was stupid. I broke my heart and I broke yours. I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I–” 

Peter reached out and pulled her to him, holding her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. Peter pressed a kiss to her head, his own tears falling into her hair. After a while, her breathing slowed and her tears stopped. Peter pulled away just enough to look at her. 

“You love me?” 

She laughed. “Of course I love you. What else would have made me so incredibly stupid?” 

Peter smiled. “I should have made you talk to me that day at the hospital.” 

“I wouldn’t have let you.” She said. “God, Peter, I’m so sorry.” 

He brushed back her hair, thinking. “Promise me something.” 

She looked up at him, waiting. 

“Promise that you’ll talk to me when you’re afraid. Or talk to MJ or Pepper. Just don’t hold it on your own.” Peter said. 

“Okay. I promise.” Y/N breathed. 

“Then I forgive you.” Peter said. 

Y/N grinned. “You do?” 

“I do.” He said, staring into her eyes. “And I love you.” 

“Knew it.” She teased. 

“Well, yeah! I already told you.” He protested. 

She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you too, Peter Parker. I love you 3,000.”  

Peter held her waist, leaning her backwards. He hesitated, just an inch away from her face giving her the opportunity to back out. She closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his. Peter kissed back. He held her close, determined not to let her go again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I write more Peter Parker? If you liked this, let me know! I really enjoyed writing it :D

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first real attempt at writing a Peter Parker/Reader story. I've read A TON and I love him a lot, so hopefully that will help things. Anyway, I hope you like the first chapter! More will be coming soon.


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